Key events
106 min PSG begin the second period of extra-time. Who fancies a bit of immortality?
“Gyokeres is stinking the place out so much,” begins Niall Mullen, “that he is nailed on to score the winner.”
Double substitution for PSG Lucas Beraldo and Illia Zabarnyi replace Vitinha and Marquinhos. Many of the players have been struggling with cramp.
Half time in extra time: PSG 1-1 Arsenal
Nuno Mendes was the wrong side of Madueke and leaned into him. They also had their arms interlocked. On balance I think it’s a foul, but it wasn’t clear and obvious and I’m sure the on-field decision would have been upheld either way.
105 min Mikel Arteta has also been booked.
104 min The replays aren’t conclusive, so I can see why VAR didn’t intervene. It’s potentially a foul, and those challenges are often penalised, but I don’t think it was a clear and obvious error.
103 min Rice is booked for his complaints.
103 min We haven’t seen a replay, but at first look it was very similar to the challenge by Mosquera on Kvaratskhelia that led to the PSG penalty.
103 min: No penalty! Arsenal are fuming. Madueke slow-slow-quicked his way thrillingly past Nuno Mendes, who seemed to bundle him over just inside the area. It was clumsy at best, but VAR have cleared it.
102 min: Penalty appeal for Arsenal
VAR check incoming!
100 min Hakimi has a pop from 25 yards; over the bar.
The pace of the game has dropped, despite all those substitutions. PSG are making most of the running, as they have throughout the match.
98 min Gyokeres is booked for a necessary foul on Ramos, who was leading a PSG break after Gyokeres was dispossessed.
96 min If it goes to penalties, who takes them for Arsenal? Gyokeres, Eze, Madueke, Rice and maybe somebody from the bench like Merino?
95 min: PSG substitution Warren Zaire-Emery replaces Fabian Ruiz in midfield.
94 min Tom Hopkins adds to our praise of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia with a perfect comparison.
…with the slightly ungainly air, making his absolute elite level performance all the more endearing, of Jasprit Bumrah.
93 min Madueke’s second corner hits the side netting at the near post.
92 min Madueke drives a low cross towards Gyokeres that is crucially cut out by Pacho. The resulting corner, Arsenal’s first of the game I think, is headed behind for another by Ramos.
91 min And they’re off again. Arsenal have brought on Eberechi Eze and Martin Zubimendi for Kai Havertz and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
In praise of Kvaratskhelia
“…with the humility and team ethic of James Milner,” adds Tom Atkins.
Full time: Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Arsenal
That was the last kick of normal time. A fascinating game of few chances – yes, I know that sounds contradictory – is going the distance.
90+7 min: Chance for PSG!
Barcola charges 70 yards down the inside-left channel, but his penultimate touch makes the angle too tight and he drills a left-foot shot into the side netting.
90+7 min A dangerous cross from Martinelli is cleared a little desperately by PSG. And then Barcola breaks…
90+6 min: PSG substitution Goncalo Ramos replaces Ousmane Dembele.
90+6 min Joao Neves is booked for a foul on Kai Havertz.
90+4 min The last time the Champions League final went to extra-time, Britain was in the EU and Barack Obama was Potus.
90+1 min “There are few finer sights in football than Kvaratskhelia in full flight,” writes Colum Fordham. “After Arsenal parked the bus, he unlocked the Gunners’s defence with a twinkle-toed one-two and nearly made it 2-1 with his marvellous run and shot. Even though he has gone off now, the match has a completely different feel to it. Alive and open. As a Napoli fan, I say ‘Come on Kvara!’.”
He’s my favourite player in the world, Matt Le Tissier with the mentality of Roy Keane.
90 min Six minutes of added time.
89 min: So close from Vitinha!
Nuno Mendes drills a superb long pass out to Doue on the right. He shuffles infield and lays the ball off to the onrushing Vitinha, who whips a first-time shot from the edge of the area that beats Raya and brushes the roof of the net.
There’s a break in play because David Raya is down with cramp (sic).
87 min The last late Champions League-winning goal was scored by Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben against Dortmund in 2013. Arsenal almost have a chance to change it, but Martinelli overhits a fairly simple pass through to Madueke.
85 min Rice’s long throw is headed on and cleared desperately by PSG. They break devastatingly, as is their wont, and Raya dives crucially at the feet of the onrushing Barcola. Raya was on his heels at first but ended up making a fine save.
85 min It’s an open game now, with Arsenal threatening a lot more than they did at 1-0.
84 min: PSG substitution Bradley Barcola replaces a weary Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
83 min: Double substitution for Arsenal Mikel Arteta changes his wingers: Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke replace Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka. Both have put in an admirable defensive shift.
82 min Dembele’s clipped corner is helped on and over the bar, I think by Pacho. Whoever it was needed Steve Bould’s little eyebrows.
79 min This feels like a good time to bring on Gabriel Martinelli, who is one of the better substitutes in world football.
77 min: Kvaratskhelia hits the post!
Timber is superbly tackled by Pacho (I think) at one end, and within seconds Kvaratskhelia almost scores at the other. He lobbed the ball over Saliba, ran 60 or 70 yards and forced a shot from the angle that hit Lewis-Skelly and ricocheted onto the outside of the near post.
Saliba did really well to get back and put Kvarataskhelia under pressure as he took the shot.
76 min The Havertz shot remains Arsenal’s only shot on target. PSG have had three: Fabian Ruiz’s cross-shot, Hakimi’s free-kick and Dembele’s penalty.
74 min: Chance for Arsenal! Havertz slips Pacho 20 yards from goal but then overhits a relatively simple pass through to Saka. That allows Safonov to charge out and dive on the ball.
That won’t show up in the old xG, because there was no shot at goal, but it was a really good opportunity for Arsenal. Havertz had done the hardest part by beating Pacho.
73 min “This isn’t how I thought things would be,” says Lizz Poulter. “I’m a Brit living in France, a lifelong Manchester United fan, but would always support any English team in this situation, however I work with a HUGE PSG fan who can be quite (very) irascible/temperamental, and who can make my life very difficult if he feels like it. Feeling VERY conflicted right now. Come on you Gunners??”
72 min Vitinha cuts across a decent shot from 25 yards that brushes the roof of the net. Raya had it covered though.
71 min And we’re back.
70 min The scheduled drinks break comes at a good time for Arsenal, who need to clear their heads after that slightly unexpected equaliser.
The camera cuts to David Beckham and Jack Whitehall having a laugh somewhere in the stadium.
69 min Hakimi’s cross deflects behind off Hincapie. PSG have the whiff of blood in their nostrils.
Saying which, the corner is crap.
68 min “Maybe this final is going to be more like Arsenal v Barcelona in 2006 than Chelsea v Bayern,” writes Phil Podolsky.
66 min: Double substitution for Arsenal Jurrien Timber and Viktor Gyokeres replace Cristhian Mosquera and Martin Odegaard, so Havertz will drop into midfield.
Football is a brutal game. Mosquera was immaculate for 61 minutes, and then he made a split-second misjudgement and was punished by a genius.
GOAL! Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Arsenal (Dembele 65 pen)
Dembele sweeps a confident penalty into the bottom left corner. Raya dived the wrong way.
Kvaratskhelia plays a deliciously quick one-two with Dembele, scurries into the area and is fouled from behind by Mosquera. A clear penalty, and Mosquera is a bit fortunate to avoid a second yellow card.
62 min: Penalty to PSG!
And just like that, everything changes.
61 min Doue gets behind Hincapie for once, but his early cross is cut out by Gabriel. Moments later, Kvaratskhelia runs at Mosquera to win a corner. It’s swung in and punched away by Raya.
60 min Right here, right now, Arsenal Football Club are 30 minutes away from winning the bloody flippin European Cup. And they are increasingly close to breaking PSG’s will. Their defensive performance has been sensational.
58 min “As a Chelsea fan (can’t be doing with the bitter neighbour thing, come on Arsenal), this match is starting to give me 2012 Munich vibes,” says Julian Menz.
That’s interesting. I might be misremembering that game but I thought a Bayern win was inevitable for the first 87 minutes. Tonight has felt very different.
